Darren Mark and Dan Barfod have been awarded £300k by the Natural Environment Research Council for development of a SELFRAG facility at SUERC. The facility will be open to collaborative and commercial use from late 2020. For initial inquiries please contact Dan.Barfod@glasgow.ac.uk
Key Features
SELFRAG is selective fragmentation using high voltage pulsed power A 'bolt of lightening' is passed through the sample causing it to shatter along the boundaries of different material phases.
Preferentially reduces mixtures to individual components before reducing the particle size of a pure component. inclusions are liberated keeping the host material large.
For highly crystalline material the impurities will be liberated first whilst keeping the size of the pure quartz crystals large.
Separate zircons, diamonds, gemstones and industrial minerals from the host rock.
Separate recycling and e-waste into the individual components.